Method and device for feeding a number of flat subproducts to a serial subsequent processing

ABSTRACT

For supplying individual quantities of flat and in particular diverse part products to a serial further processing, the part products are arranged in a row of part product groups ( 7 ) in a preparatory step carried out before the supply step (e.g. supplementation), and the row ( 2 ) is fashioned into a “first-in-last-out” storage formation, such as a roll ( 5 ). Within the row ( 2 ) the part products or the part product groups ( 7 ) overlap or are spaced from each other. For stabilizing the part product groups ( 7 ), adhesion between the part products within the groups may be enhanced; for stabilizing the storage formation, the part product groups ( 7 ) may be reversibly connected to each other. For supplying the groups to the serial further processing, which may succeed the preparatory step at any time or place, the storage formation is dissolved and the part product groups are supplied to the further processing directly from the storage formation. The preparatory step is completely uncoupled from the supply step, which simplifies the method and the installation for both, the supply and the further processing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention is located in the field of further processing printedproducts. Method and installation according to the invention serve thesupply of individual quantities of flat part products to a serialsubsequent processing, wherein the part products of a quantity are inparticular different from each other. Method and installation serve inparticular the supplementation of printed products conveyed in a serialconveying stream by adding a quantity of part products to each one ofthe printed products.

Printed products such as e.g. newspapers or periodicals are oftensupplemented by adding various part products such as e.g. inserts,prospectuses, single leaflets, smaller brochures, reply cards, or evenflat sample articles or sample sachets. To this end, the printedproducts are usually conveyed along a supplementation track past a rowof feed points, wherein at each feed point one part product of aspecific part product type is added to each printed product, forinstance by inserting the part product into, or placing it upon theprinted product. The supplemented printed products are then packagede.g. in batches or individually.

In particular if high capacities are required, the realization of thesupplementation track demands elaborate installations such as e.g. aninsertion drum with various feed points being equipped depending onformat and kind of the part product type to be handled, wherein the partproducts often need to be supplied manually to the feed points. Thegreater the number of diverse part products to be added to each printedproduct, the greater the number of feed points needed and the larger orlonger the supplementation installation becomes. If the number of thepart products varies in successive supplementation processes, theinstallation needs to be dimensioned to suit the greatest number to beexpected and it is on average therefore utilized to a limited extentonly. If the types of part products differ greatly in successivesupplementation processes, feed point equipment may have to be exchangedor reset between such processes.

It is the object of the invention to create a method and an installationfor supplying individual quantities of, in particular diverse, partproducts to a serial sub-sequent processing, in particular, it servesfor supplementing printed products conveyed in series, by adding aquantity of part products to each printed product. Therein the inventionis to simplify such supply in particular concerning the installation andall the same the invention is to enable, compared with state of the artmethods, similar or greater capacities. Nevertheless, the methodaccording to the invention should not limit either the properties of thepart products as such, or the diversity of these properties, nor the wayin which the part products are manufactured.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This object is achieved by the method and the installation as defined inthe claims.

In the following, the method and the installation according to theinvention are described by way of the example of the aforementionedsupplementation of printed products by adding to each printed product aquantity of part products. However, the invention is not in any waylimited to such supplementation. It is equally applicable e.g. to theinsertion of a quantity of flat products into an envelope, or to anothermethod of packaging a quantity of flat products, in particular ofprinted products.

According to the invention, the part products, with which the printedproducts are to be supplemented, are arranged in part product groups ina preparatory step before supplementation. Each part product groupcomprises the part products to be added to printed products, and thepart product groups are arranged in succession in a row forming astorage formation. The row of part product groups is produced andfashioned as a storage formation in one longitudinal direction, and thestorage formation is dissolved in the opposite direction, thusrepresenting a so-called “first-in-last-out” storage. In the actualsupplementation step, which follows the pre-paratory step at any giventime, the storage formation is positioned and unravelled for supplyingpart product groups to a stream of printed products. At this single feedpoint one part product group is added to each one of the printedproducts directly from the storage formation, e.g. by insertion.

The named preparatory step (producing a row of part product groups andfashioning the row into a storage formation) is completely separate, intime and place, from the actual supplementation step (each printedproduct being supplemented with one part product group from the storageformation). I.E. the storage formations produced in the preparatory stepare suitable for being transported and stored, and they are usuallytransported and temporarily stored between their assembly and theirunravelling. Due to this complete separation of the preparatory step andthe supplementation step, the supplementation capacity, which shouldpreferably be consistent with the production capacity of the printedproducts to be supplemented, becomes completely independent of thecapacity, which can be achieved in the preparatory step. The partproducts, usually produced prior to the printed products to besupplemented, can be grouped at any given time and with any givencapacity, i.e. the installations used in this process do not need to behigh-performance installations. For the supplementation step only onefeed point is needed for supplying a plurality of different part producttypes, so that the supplementation installation can be kept small andcompact. Furthermore, there is no need for any precautions to preventconflicts between part products to be added in succession, which furthersimplifies the supplementation installation.

According to the preferred embodiment of the method according to theinvention, the storage formation produced in the preparatory step is aroll, i.e. a roll core onto which the row of part product groups iswound with the aid of a winding band.

The row of part product groups to be rolled is advantageously producedby gathering supply streams of the individual part product types. Thesupply streams to be gathered have the same speed and the same supplycapacity (part products per time unit). Regarding product orientationand phase, the supply streams are adapted to the means used forseparating the groups from the storage formation or the rowrespectively, in such a way that each part product group can beseparated without the need to displace the part products within thegroup or to displace a succeeding group. For the gathering, the supplystreams are produced from rolls or other storage formations (stacks,bundles, parcels) and/or are supplied on-line, e.g. from a printingmachine. The row of part product groups can also be produced bycollating, wherein the different part product types are supplied to thecollating process, e.g. by sheet feeders.

In the rolled-up row, the part product groups are arranged in such arelation to each other that all part products of a front-most group (inunwinding direction) can be easily gripped, e.g. by a gripper.Alternatively, adhesion between the part products within the groups issuch (possibly by additional group stabilization or transversestabilization), that the groups can be inserted into the printedproducts as a stable unit, without the need of being gripped. Forstabilizing the rolls, the part product groups are advantageouslyarranged in the row in an overlapping manner. If this is not the case,it is advantageous for the stabilization of the rolls to loosely connectthe groups (row stabilization or longitudinal stabilization).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The method and the installation according to the invention are describedin detail in connection with the following Figs., wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the method according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show two exemplary embodiments of the row of part productgroups and of the separation of the groups from the row, wherein thepart products or the groups overlap in the row;

FIGS. 4 and 5 show two further embodiments of the row of part productgroups, in which the groups overlap;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show two further embodiments of the row of part productgroups, wherein the groups are arranged and stabilized in successionwithin the row (transverse stabilization);

FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment of the row of part product groups,wherein the groups are arranged in succession within the row and areloosely connected (longitudinal and transverse stabilization);

FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment of the row of part product groups, inwhich the individual part product types overlap and wherein the row isstabilized longitudinally, e.g. by supporting bands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows schematically the method according to the invention with aroll as storage formation. A plurality of e.g. three supply streams 1 ofidentical speed and identical capacity (supplied part products per timeunit) is gathered, so that the supply streams form together a row 2 ofpart product groups. Exemplary versions of such rows of part productgroups are illustrated in the following Figs. From the row 2 of partproduct groups, a storage formation is produced on-line, wherefore therow 2 is wound on to a roll core 4, e.g. with the aid of a winding band3 (winding direction D).

For producing the roll 5 and for unravelling it, per se known windingstations are used. The roll 5 may have a diameter of up to circa twometers and a weight of up to two tons. The roll core 4 may be arrangedrotatingly on a mobile roll support, so that the rolls 5 are transportedand handled via the roll support and together with the latter. The rolls5 can, however, also be handled and transported recumbent on a pallet.

For the supplementation step, the roll 5 is unravelled (unwindingdirection E), wherein the row 2 of part product groups is, at leastpartly, restored, albeit moving in the opposite direction to that of thewinding process. Thus the trailing edges of the part products or theleading sides of the part product groups, when wound, become the leadingedges or trailing sides, when unravelled. The restored row 2 isillustrated in FIG. 1 viewed parallel to the flat extension of the partproducts, immediately following the roll 5, and viewed from above,further away from roll 5. At a feed point 6, the front-most part productgroup 7 at the head of the unravelled row 2 is separated from row 2 andis added to a printed product, which is conveyed past the feed point 6in parallel or transverse to the conveying direction in a serial streamof printed products.

FIG. 2 shows, in more detail than FIG. 1, a first exemplary embodimentof a row 2 of part product groups 7, each group containing a partproduct of each type A, B and C. The row 2 illustrated in FIG. 2 issuitable for a separation of the groups by lateral gripping, i.e. bygripping the product edges oriented parallel to the direction E.

The row 2 is produced by gathering the supply streams 1.1 (part producttype A), 1.2 (part product type B) and 1.3 (part product type C),wherein the illustrated supply streams are all imbricated streams, inwhich the leading product edges are lying on the upper side of thestream. For gathering, all supply streams are of the same speed and thesame supply capacity, i.e. the distance between identical points ofsuccessive part products are the same in each supply stream. The row isproduced in the direction indicated by the arrow D, and resolved forsupplementation in the direction indicated by the arrow E. Theillustrated part of the row 2 is therefore the tail end when beingproduced, but on dissolution it is the front end, from which groups 7are separated.

To enable lateral gripping for the group separation (arrow F, verticalto D and E) as the row is dissolved, the longitudinal edges on one sideof all supply streams are aligned when being gathered. Also, the phasedifferences between the supply streams are selected in such a mannerthat all part products A, B and C of the group to be separated at thehead of the dissolving row 2 protrude from the part products of aconsecutive group. Group separation is realized by gripping the edgesindicated with 10, e.g. by grippers which separate the gripped groupfrom the row 2, e.g. in direction F, and immediately pass it on to theprinted product. The gripped group can also be separated from the frontof the row in direction E, wherein the group needs to be accelerated forthis purpose.

For gripping the part product groups by the edges transverse to theconveying direction E, it is advantageous to align the trailing (on rowproduction) product edges and to gather the supply streams such thattheir middle lines are superimposed.

It is evident from FIG. 2 that it is not particularly relevant whetherthe leading product edges lie on the upper or lower side of theimbricated supply streams 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3. It is further evident that,in a supply stream of very small part products, or possibly in all thesupply streams, the part products can be arranged in succession ratherthan overlapping, i.e. not form an imbricated stream. As alreadymentioned above, the row 2 of part product groups 7, illustrated in FIG.2, can be produced by gathering the supply streams 1.1 to 1.3, or thepart products can be collated.

FIG. 3 shows in a similar presentation as FIG. 2, a further row 2 ofpart product groups 7, and a part product group 7 separated from thehead end of row 2. In row 2, the part products are arranged essentiallydiagonally, one product corner of all part products of a group beingaligned. Some of the part products overlap in the row 2, wherein theoverlapping may concern the whole groups (as illustrated) or theproducts of each type (as shown in FIG. 2). Row 2 according to FIG. 3 issuitable for lateral gripping or for gripping in the area of the alignedproduct corners. The separation of the gripped groups occurs, e.g. in adirection indicated by the arrow F.

FIG. 4 shows the production of a further row 2 of part product groups 7.In a pre-row 2′ the leading product edges are aligned. From this pre-row2′, the part product groups are separated and e.g. by use of a cellwheel are rotated by 180°, and are placed in overlapping alignment inthe row 2. This row 2, in which not the part products of each type butthe whole groups overlap and in which the aligned edges of the partproducts in each group are trailing, is wound on roll 5 (windingdirection D) and unravelled (unwinding direction E) for use, wherein thegroups can be gripped from their leading side, i.e. at the alignedproduct edges.

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a row 2 of part product groups 7,which is wound on a roll 5 in a preparatory step preceding thesupplementation step. In this row it is again the part product groups 7which overlap, wherein the part products of each group are aligned by alongitudinal edge and the groups are advantageously laterally grippedfor separation.

FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of a row 2 of part product groups 7,wherein the groups do not overlap in the row but are arranged at adistance from each other. Such a row is particularly suitable forunsupported separation and supply of the part product groups, i.e.without gripping the front most part product group of the row afterunravelling of the roll 5. In order that the part product groups remainstable during such unsupported separation and supply, it is advantageousto stabilize them (transverse stabilizing). For that purpose astabilizing means 20 is provided, with which e.g. adhesion between thepart products in each group is increased, e.g. by use of ultrasound orby static charge.

FIG. 7, like FIG. 6, shows a row 2 of part product groups 7 arranged insuccession, stabilized within themselves (transverse stabilization). Thepart products are single sheets connected by, possibly perforated,folding edges, so that each group represents a single layered ormultilayered folded stack. It is also conceivable to connect or keepconnected (longitudinal stabilizing) the top and bottom sheet of eachstack (part product group 7), with the top or bottom sheet of theneighboring group, respectively. The folded stacks are then arranged ina row 2, corresponding with the groups illustrated in FIG. 6, butessentially without gaps, and they are separated from each other as eachone is separated from the front of the row 2, i.e. immediately prior tobeing added to the printed products. Isolated folded stacks can also bearranged in an imbricated stream as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 also shows a row 2 of part product groups 7, which are connectedin the row, wherein the connecting means not only stabilizes the row byconnecting the groups but also stabilizes the groups by connecting thepart products within them (longitudinal and transverse stabilizing). Arow of part product groups 7 being distanced from each other, the rowbeing produced e.g. by collating, is conveyed on to a continuous web offoil 30. The foil is placed around the groups 7 by suitable means and isclosed above the groups, as illustrated in the sections 1 and 11(section planes transverse to the longitudinal expansion of the row 2).Then the length of foil 30 is welded between the part product groups 7(welding device 31), so that the successive groups in row 2 representparcels being connected to each other. The row 2 thus stabilized, iswound onto the roll, and is then unravelled as required and dissolvedfor the supplementation, wherein the parcels are separated from thefront of the row 2 and added as such to the printed products.

FIG. 9 shows a further kind of longitudinal stabilizing of the row 2 ofpart product groups 7. Here, supporting bands 3.1 and 3.2, or supportingfoils or supporting strings, extending along the entire length of therow, serve as stabilizing means. They are positioned between supplystreams 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3, as described e.g. in connection with the FIGS.1 and 2. The supporting bands may or may not be stretched in the roll.Advantageously, they are narrower than at least some of the part producttypes, so that e.g. aligned longitudinal edges of the part products canbe gripped for group separation, without the supporting bands beinggripped as well, and each group thus gripped can be withdrawn from thesupporting bands 3.1 and 3.2. The supporting bands, foils or strings,are advantageously rewound when the roll dissolves, and are reused forthe next roll, as is also the case for the winding band.

1. A method for supplying individual quantities of flat part products ofdifferent types comprising at least partly different rectangularformats, to a serial further processing, the method comprising the stepsof: producing a row of part product groups, each group comprising one ofsaid quantities of part products, by superimposing a plurality of supplystreams (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) comprising the part products of one type (A, B,C) each, wherein the supply streams to be superimposed are of identicalspeed and identical supply capacity, wherein the part products of thesupply streams overlap one another, and wherein the supply streams aresuperimposed in such a manner that within each part product groupproduced, one edge of each part product is aligned with an edge of theremaining part products and the aligned edges face a common side of therow, wherein the one aligned edge of the part products within each partproduct group is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the row,winding the row in a first direction (D) onto a roll core to form aroll, restoring the row by unwinding it from the roll in a seconddirection (E), opposite to the first direction (D), the step ofrestoring being independent of time and place of the steps of producingand winding the row, successively separating from the front end of therestored row (2) part product groups (7) by gripping, with a gripper,each part product group from said common side of the row in the range(10) of said aligned edges and removing it from the head end of the rowin a third direction (F) substantially perpendicular to the seconddirection (E) and parallel to a plane of the flat portion of theproducts in the row, and supplying the gripped and removed part productgroups immediately to the further processing.
 2. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the further processing is a supplementation of printedproducts (8), wherein the printed products (8) are conveyed in a serialstream (9), and one part product group (7) is added to each printedproduct (8) in the course of said conveyance.
 3. A method for supplyingindividual quantities of flat part products of different typescomprising at least partly different rectangular formats, to a serialfurther processing, the method comprising the steps of: producing a rowof part product groups, each group comprising one of said quantities ofpart products, by superimposing a plurality of supply streams (1.1, 1.2,1.3) comprising the part products of one type (A, B, C) each, whereinthe supply streams to be superimposed are of identical speed andidentical supply capacity, wherein the part products of the supplystreams overlap one another, and wherein the supply streams aresuperimposed in such a manner that within each part product groupproduced, one edge of each part product is aligned with an edge of theremaining part products and the aligned edges face a common side of therow, wherein the one aligned edge of the part products within each partproduct group is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the row,winding the row in a first direction (D) onto a roll core to form aroll, restoring the row by unwinding it from the roll in a seconddirection (E), opposite to the first direction (D), the step ofrestoring being independent of time and place of the steps of producingand winding the row, successively separating from the front end of therestored row (2) part product groups (7) by gripping, with a gripper,each part product group from said common side of the row in the range(10) of said aligned edges and removing it from the head end of the rowin a third direction (F) substantially perpendicular to the seconddirection (E) and parallel to a plane of the flat portion of theproducts in the row for a distance large enough for fully freeing thepart products of each separated group from overlap with products of thefollowing group, and supplying the gripped and removed part productgroups immediately to the further processing.
 4. A method for supplyingindividual quantities of flat part products of different typescomprising at least partly different rectangular formats, to a serialfurther processing, the method comprising the steps of: producing a rowof part product groups, each group comprising one of said quantities ofpart products, by superimposing a plurality of supply streams (1.1, 1.2,1.3) comprising the part products of one type (A, B, C) each, whereinthe supply streams to be superimposed are of identical speed andidentical supply capacity, wherein the part products in the supplystreams and in the row overlap one another such that the part product ofone type (A,B,C) is imbricated with the adjacent part product of thesame type (A,B,C), and wherein the supply streams are superimposed insuch a manner that within each part product group produced, one edge ofeach part product is aligned with an edge of the remaining part productsand the aligned edges face a common side of the row, wherein the onealigned edge of the part products within each part product group isparallel to the longitudinal direction of the row, winding the row in afirst direction (D) onto a roll core to form a roll, restoring the rowby unwinding it from the roll in a second direction (E), opposite to thefirst direction (D), the step of restoring being independent of time andplace of the steps of producing and winding the row, successivelyseparating from the front end of the restored row (2) part productgroups (7) by gripping, with a gripper, each part product group fromsaid common side of the row in the range (10) of said aligned edges andremoving it from the head end of the row in a third direction (F)substantially perpendicular to the second direction (E) and parallel toa plane of the flat portion of the products in the row, and supplyingthe gripped and removed part product groups immediately to the furtherprocessing.